Economics university student. Knows how to get a good IT deal. Always searches for the best value fo...
Economics university student. Knows how to get a good IT deal. Always searches for the best value for money.
Member since:14.01.2009
Reviews:4
ASRock P4i65G is a compact motherboard for that tiny PC case.
Because it was manufactured for microtower standard computer boxes, it lacks the strengths that the following customers would desire: workstation administrators, hardcore gamers, media professionals. In other words, this motherboard is currently suitable only for those with medium requirements (if you wish to buy it for a new computer) and highly recommended for Socket 478 processor owners.
Introducing mATX
Power Capacity
Most mATX computers support power supplies of no more than 350W, and the case is sometimes too small for you to stuff two hard disks. This motherboard can easily house a P4 3.4 GHz HT (one of the most powerful and watt-guzzling monocore CPUs) that can compete with modern
dual core processors, multiple DVD-ROMs and hard disk drives. It becomes particularly spacious if you have both ATA and SATA devices. Mind you, mATX computers are designed to have 1 multi-functional DVD-ROM and 1 large HDD. This motherboard might have too many capabilities for your case to fit.
ATX Compatible
This motherboard is not picky when it comes to hardware and will easily cope with a 600W+ 24pinpower supply dedicated for ATX computers. Yes, the slot for the power supply is just 20 pins, but the ATX PSU works. What does that mean to you? With the P4i65G you can have an ATI graphics card with DirectX 10 support, the renowned 1 TB HDD, a P4 3.8 GHz Extreme Edition, and even a floppy disk drive!
Ports
It is also worth adding, this motherboard has a sufficient amount of USB 2.0 ports (personally, I've never been able to fill them all), and an LPT slot for those ink printers that don't do well with USB. Other plugs are all basic and expected in every standard motherboard.
Memory
The motherboard can have up to 2 GB DDR RAM. It is more than enough for an average Windows Vista multi-tasker, but modern games might do substantially better with a 4GB-able DDRII. Let me remind you mATX computers were made to save space and energy, and you can't expect much more stuffed on a tiny mainboard.
Slots
The product has 3 PCI slots and one for an AGP graphics card. mATX users should find that they have 1 free PCI slot if they own an internal LAN card provided by their ISP and a more advanced sound card (the internal sound device does not support EAX). However, if you put it into an ATX computer for whatever reason, it just might not do, as ATX variants provide more.
Installation
You can see silvery circles on the board in the picture provided by Ciao (like the one between the battery and memory slots). That's where the screws go, and as soon as it's inserted, you can get it in a fixed position with ease. Problems may occur if you have decided to make do with all the power and computer LED switches yourself without having consulted the manual. Mind you, the power switch and reset wire positions can vary from board to board. If you fail to put the case connectors right, you may experience the following: the computer keeps restarting, OS crashes as soon as it loads, the reset and power buttons are switched, LED lights do not work. It can all lead to you frying the circuits and having to return the board. One positive note: warranty offices will never notice the product's disability is the customer's fault and will replace or refund.
Verdict
I suppose it all comes down to buying or not. The reason I have it is that several parts from my previous rig were only compatible with 487 socket motherboards. Spending extra for a multi-core machine seemed irrational, as the capacities keep increasing faster that the amount of money you need accumulates. Buy if you wish not to get an extra cooler for a 775 or equivalent, feel that a 5 GHz (effective total for P4 with HT) processor suits your needs or you cannot afford an ATX. Do not buy if you have an ATX computer, wish to have plenty of space for fitting many additional devices, require a PCI-E graphics card or DDRII memory.
As you can see, chances are you will require some other mainboard, but if you wish to cope with the mATX PC case, you can always find room for the ASRock P4i65G.
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Jan 15th, 2009
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